Theological Schools Report Continued Drop in Master of Divinity Degrees

Kathryn Post, ReligionNewsService

(Link–https://religionnews.com/2022/12/02/theological-schoolsreport-continued-drop-in-master-of-divinity-degrees/)

Professional degrees are gaining traction at theological schools across the United States and Canada, while the traditional ministerial degree, the Master of Divinity (M.Div.), is faltering, according to new data released late last month.

But Chris Meinzer, senior director and chief operating officer of The Association of Theological Schools, noted that overall enrollment at The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) has remained stable and that the master of divinity is not dying. Instead, he said, the Master of Arts (M.A.) is appealing to more students.

The Association of Theological Schools, an umbrella organization with over 270 member schools, reported an uptick in the doctor of ministry and other professional doctoral programs designed to enhance a minister’s practical skills.

Based on enrollment numbers reported by nearly 90% of schools, projected enrollment for doctoral and similar programs in 2022 was 12,300 students, a 4% increase from fall 2021 and a notable 24% increase from fall 2018, according to the ATS.

The Master of Arts, a two-year program that trains students for a wide range of professions, including doctoral studies, nonprofit work, and lay ministry, has also seen a subtle increase of 1% since fall 2021 and 5% since fall 2018, according to fall 2022 projections. In addition, the ATS reports that enrollment in M.A. programs is now on par with enrollment in master of divinity programs for the first time in ATS history, according to fall 2022 projections.

The Master of Divinity — a three-year program typically chosen by students pursuing ordination — continues to decline. The projected enrollment for fall 2022 is 28,000 master of divinity students, a 4% decrease from fall 2021 and a 9% decline since fall 2018. Master of divinity programs still constitute 35% of enrollment at theological schools overall, per fall 2022 projections. That’s a significant decline from the 43% of total enrollment for Master of Divinity degrees a decade ago.

Meinzer said several factors steer students toward a master of arts program. In some Christian contexts, he said, the master of divinity is no longer required for ordination. The two-year degree may also entice students over the typical three-year master of divinity degree because it requires less time and less financial investment. Others might be attracted to specific master’s degree programs.

“There is lots of creativity happening within our schools,” Meinzer pointed out. Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, for instance, added a fully online Master of Arts in Justice and Advocacy program in the fall of 2021.

Overall enrollment at theological schools remains steady, an impressive feat, noted Meinzer, amid changing religious trends and demographic challenges in higher education. Still, 57% of ATS schools reported declining enrollment, a sharp rise from 2020, when 46% of ATS schools showed enrollment decreases.

Meinzer pointed to schools’ pivot to online classes as one reason. He said roughly 95% of ATS schools went completely online in 2020. As a result, the return to in-person study could be negatively impacting enrollment.

The new ATS data is evidence of broader changes in North America’s religious landscape. Many theological schools are adapting to meet the needs of students claiming spiritual identities apart from

Who said Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees?

The 300-leaf Tree of Life pictured above is a classic design that allows for a wide range of presentation shapes and accommodates a large number of donor names. This carefully crafted Tree of Life can provide the perfect way to:

• Recognize contributors to a building fund or fund-raising campaign

• Honor contributors to an endowment fund

• Salute individuals or groups for outstanding service or achievements

• Create a tasteful memorial

• The Tree of Life is so successful because the donor’s personalized message will be on display forever of literal office materials, and typing and sending of minutes can be overwhelming. Still, at the end of the day, it is so very fulfilling to put so much information in the hands of our communion.

Its leaves are miniature brass plaques that we custom engrave for mounting on sculpted plexiglass backgrounds. The result is elegant and economical.

As someone who has served, and quite frankly is serving, at some of the highest levels of our Zion, I find that being the annual conference secretary gives me the ability to fashion and forge a new direction in our church while maintaining the high standards we have grown accustomed to. I am grateful for the countless mentors of the faith. They served as local church secretaries, annual conference secretaries, and even in the position of general secretary of the AME Church. And so, as the annual conference season progresses,

I am just so grateful that God saw fit enough to continue my service to the wonderful people of the Palmetto South Carolina Annual Conference and the Seventh Episcopal District of the AME Church. As we continue to push forward, I am confident our latter days will be our greater ones!

Reverend Jarrett Britton Washington, M.Div., MACE, is the pastor of Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church in Hemingway, South Carolina, 7th Episcopal District. He is a candidate for chief information officer, general secretary of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

...From Payne Seminary's p12

Wonderfully Made,” and “Standing on the Word of God.” Dr. Toni Johnson Liggins is happily married to the Rev. Timothy E. Liggins, pastor of Bethel AMEC, Columbus, OH.

The Rev. Cummings’s presentation, “De-Stressing for Professionals: Useful Tools to De-Stress at with humility and gleeful surprise. Finally, we celebrated our faithful leader, Presiding Elder Dr. Faye Banks Taylor. This event was not a fundraiser, but God blessed us anyway! The event was fun and relaxing. Our community all harvested what God planted. To God be the glory for rural vineyards.

Work and Not Take It with You,” included topics on “Stress Recognition,” “How to De-Stress,” “Ways to De-Stress While at Work,” “De-Escalating the Situation,” “Leaving Work at Work,” “Celebrate Your Success,” “Find Happiness at Work,” “Life After Work,” “Know Your Tools to Unwind,” and “Set Boundaries and Keep Them.” The Rev.

Cummings loves mentoring, teaching others, and empowering people to think through reallife experiences. Both presenters were engaging and presented valuable information to persons in attendance. For contact information about the presenters, email bholley@payneseminary.edu. ❏

Event Committee: The Revs. Dr. Gloria Jimpson, Linda Van Alstyne, and Steward Pro Tem Naomi Pitts religious institutions. This spring, Graduate Theological Union, a 60-year-old consortium of California seminaries and religious study centers, launched a new online learning hub for interreligious activism in which students can study online and pay little or

...From Theological Schools p18 no tuition. In October 2021, Hartford Seminary rebranded as Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, a name that better reflects the school’s offerings. The school does not offer a master of divinity program and hasn’t ordained clergy since the 1970s.

As theological institutions look to the future, Meinzer urged schools to continue to innovate to meet the needs of today’s evolving religious scene. “The world is changing, and we need leaders who can serve that changing world,” he said.